Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 57

सर्गविभागवर्णनम्

Classification of Creation: the Nine Sargas and the Streams of Beings

Devanagari script

औषध्यः फलमूलानि रोमभ्यस्तस्य जज्ञिरे । गायत्रीं च ऋचं चैव त्रिवृत्साम रथंतरम्

Transliteration

auṣadhyaḥ phalamūlāni romabhyastasya jajñire | gāyatrīṃ ca ṛcaṃ caiva trivṛtsāma rathaṃtaram

Translation

Aus den Haaren jenes höchsten Herrn wurden Heilkräuter sowie alle Früchte und Wurzeln geboren; ebenso die heilige Gāyatrī, die Ṛk‑Verse, das Trivṛt‑Sāman und der Rathantara‑Gesang.

Word by Word

• औषध्यः: medicinal herbs
• औषध्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• फलमूलानि: fruits and roots
• फलमूलानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative)

• रोमभ्यः: from the hairs
• रोमभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• जज्ञिरे: were born/arose
• जज्ञिरे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); आत्मनेपद

• गायत्रीम्: the Gāyatrī (meter/hymn)
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ऋचम्: a ṛc (Rig-verse)
• ऋचम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• त्रिवृत्साम: the Trivṛt Sāman chant
• त्रिवृत्साम: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिवृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'of/with trivṛt')

• रथन्तरम्: the Rathantara (Sāman)
• रथन्तरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (implied) gāyatrī-mantra; text not quoted in the verse

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Lalitā

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: emanation of vegetation and Vedic metres/chants from the cosmic body

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that all life-supporting forces—food as herbs and produce, and the sanctifying power of Vedic sound—arise from Shiva, the Pati (Supreme Lord). In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, this points to Shiva as the ultimate source who sustains the pashu (souls) and the world, while sacred mantra and hymn become means for purification and liberation.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

By presenting Vedic metres and chants as emerging from Shiva, the verse grounds Saguna worship—such as Linga-puja accompanied by Vedic recitation—as a direct participation in Shiva’s own manifested power (śakti). The Linga becomes the focal symbol through which devotees offer herbs, fruits, and Vedic sound back to their divine source.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A clear takeaway is mantra-based worship: perform Shiva puja with offerings of medicinal leaves/fruits (as appropriate) while reciting Vedic mantras such as Gāyatrī or Sāma chants, and inwardly contemplate Shiva as the origin of both nourishment (anna) and sacred sound (śabda).